Spirit of Champions
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: A dark evil has awakened threatening to sunder the fragile peace. The Five Champions must unite as one to protect the citizens, and prevent their kingdoms from plunging forever into darkness. But when an unfortunate tragedy occurs, the alliance is broken. The fate of the world falls on Ash – will he triumph? Fantasy. AU. Lance/Lyra. Dawn/Ash
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Pokemon do not belong to me

**Title**

Spirit of Champions

**Summary**

A dark evil has awakened threatening to sunder the fragile peace. The Five Champions must unite as one to protect the citizens, and prevent their kingdoms from plunging forever into darkness. But when an unfortunate tragedy occurs, the alliance is broken. The fate of the world falls on Ash – will he triumph?

.

**Prologue**

Soldiers dropped to their knees, falling headfirst into a pool of their own blood, as the sharp heads of arrows pierced through their armour. One man engaged in a fearsome duel with the enemy, fighting hard to maintain his footing. The enemy, dressed in black chainmail, bore a sword with a 'P' engraved on the hilt. He was a soldier of Plasma, the home to the dark sorcerer, Ghetsis.

Ghetsis' forces continued to push forward through, holding their shields forward at an angle to protect themselves from arrow fire. The defending soldiers fought to push them back, but try as they might, the battle was lost. Too many had fallen. The captain stood at the back of the defenders, scanning the incoming force warily. In a few minutes the enemy would overwhelm them.

"Captain, we cannot hold our ground!" a soldier said, running towards the captain, clutching a bloodied hand.

"Tell the men to push forward. We can't lose... not here, not now, not ever!" To flee now would be a cowardly act, and such a move would not impress her cousin, the Champion of both Kanto and Johto. She had been the task of defending the gate and she would not lose control of it, no matter what the cost.

The man nodded. "Yes, Captain."

She withdrew her sword; a long silver katana with strange symbols on the hilt. The sword had once belonged to the first tamer of the dragons, and had since been passed down from generation to generation. Now the sword belonged to her; it was a great honour to wield a dragon blade. The blades were said to have been forged out of dragon fire, giving the weapon magical abilities.

She charged forward, black cape billowing in the wind behind her, as she made her way to the front. She thrusted her blade forward, plunging the tip into the stomach of an offending soldier. The man dropped to his knees, hands clutching at his stomach. Another man swung his blade at her, but she easily evaded the blow, then counterattacked knocking the weapon out of his hand. He tried to pick it up, but she got there first. She stomped on his foot, crushing it, then grabbed the blade. "You won't need this anymore," she spat, bringing the blade down through the soldier's back.

"Clair! Behind you!" a soldier screamed.

Clair spun around just in time to parry a blow from a soldier. She kicked out at him, charged forward and stabbed him. "Is this all the power Ghetsis can muster?" she smirked. Perhaps they would not lose this battle after all. "He may have control over the dark creatures of the world, but they will not stand against the mighty power of the dragon."

"Clair..."

She jerked her head in the direction of the source, and spotted a handful of soldiers looking up at the sky. Even the forces of Ghetsis had stopped attacking, their eyes looking upwards at well. Clair arched her neck back, looking at the night sky. The stars were no longer visible hidden by a thick lining of clouds. All was silent... then a ferocious growled echoed throughout the valley.

A large creature emerged from the clouds; although it was dark, Clair could make out its shape. A six thinned black winged creature hovered in its space, its three heads roaring at the people below. Clair's heart skipped a beat. "It can't be..."

Hydreigon. A powerful dragon capable of destroying anything with little force. Hydreigons were extremely difficult to raise and often turned on their tamers after a day or two. Only a few people had ever managed to control a Hydreigon; the dark sorcerers. All were dead, but one – Ghetsis. Clair bit her bottom lip, as the dragon drew closer to the ground.

She squinted, noticing a figure sitting on the back of the dragon. "Bow before your new master!"

Clair pointed her sword up at the sky. "Get off your dragon's back and face us on the ground!" she spat.

Ghetsis cackled, as Hydreigon continued to descend. "I much prefer it up here. It'll give me a better view of the destruction after Hydreigon destroys half your precious kingdom," he sneered. "Hydregion, use Dragon Pulse!" A beam of blue-purplish light erupted from the three heads, causing anything in its path to explode. Clair dove to the ground to narrowly avoid it, while her men died around her.

The dragon stopped the attack, allowing Clair to stand on her feet again. She looked around, gasping. All dead. All of them... with little effort. She dropped to her knees. Surely, this had to be some nightmare? How could one stop such a fearsome beast? The Hydreigon roared again, three mouths gnashing at the air. "Give up the fight. There is no way you can beat me. Bow before me and I will spare you. Refuse... and you die with them."

"Surrender?" Clair said, glaring. "No. I will not."

Ghetsis sighed. "So you have chosen death. My Hydreigon will gladly accommodate your wish. Hydreigon, use Dragon Tail!"

Hydregion dove at Clair, and swung its tail at her, successfully flinging her aside. Her frail body slammed against the castle wall, then crumpled to the ground. She coughed up blood, feeling her life fade away. "I'm sorry, Lance..." she mumbled, breathing heavily, "Please forgive me." The light faded and eternal darkness welcomed her.

**.**

My first attempt at a high fantasy fanfiction starring Pokemon characters! Hydreigon is going to be depicted as an evil creature for the purpose of this story. Reviews are much appreciated!


	2. Lost

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Pokemon do not belong to me

**Title**

Spirit of Champions

**Summary**

A dark evil has awakened threatening to sunder the fragile peace. The Five Champions must unite as one to protect the citizens, and prevent their kingdoms from plunging forever into darkness. But when an unfortunate tragedy occurs, the alliance is broken. The fate of the world falls on Ash – will he triumph?

**Special Thanks**

Koryandrs and Dragon Courage for reviewing the previous chapter! Thanks to everyone else who has favourite this and alerted this as well!

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**Chapter One: Lost**

Cynthia rushed forward, swinging her long sword at the enemy soldier, successfully striking him down. The man crumbled to the ground, lying in a pool of his blood. She evaded a blow from an approaching soldier, then countered with a move of her own. Another soldier down, but there was always another to take their place. "Retreat!"

She ushered for her men to retreat to the wall, a towering defence structure which cast a shadow over the sparse terrain. Cynthia's home of Sinnoh was located in the cold untamed lands of the north, where wild beasts roamed the wilderness. Fortunately, the wall protected them from harm. As long as they could defend it they were safe for the wall was the only way the enemy could enter Sinnoh.

The kingdom was built within a mountain region which gave Cynthia and her people extra protection. However, the mountains blocked the sunlight so it always cold in Sinnoh. "To the wall! We'll fire arrows down at them!" she ordered.

Her surrounding men nodded, and hurried back towards the gate. Once all the surviving men were through the iron gate, the gate closed and the soldiers rushed up the stairs and took their places. Cynthia stood in between her soldiers, grabbed her bow and fired arrows at the enemy hordes. Hundreds fell, but hundreds still came.

"Cynthia, Wallace's forces have arrived. They are coming from the east."

Cynthia almost sighed with relief. Aid had come at the most appropriate time. "Do your best to protect her forces. I will ride out and greet her." She made her way down to the ground again, before her captain could say anything further. She knew it was risky to ride out alone into an enemy force, but it was her duty as Champion to protect her people. Sinnoh would _not_ fall.

.

"Have you heard from the Champion of Johto and Kanto?" Alder asked, briefly stopping his pacing to communicate with Iris.

The young adult female shook her head, long purple locks falling around her face. She brushed her bangs back and answered, "I haven't been able to contact him; I fear the kingdom has been lost." She hung her head sadly. Word had reached Unova the kingdom had been overrun by the forces of Ghetsis.

Alder closed his eyes, muttered a prayer, then reopened them again. "Then all is lost. The alliance will break." Just two years ago, Blue, the former champion of Kanto had been killed in battle. The people grieved for him, and they could not bear to lose another. The Champion was the heart and strength of a kingdom; if they fell, the kingdom would too. The alliance was fragile as it was; the death of another champion would break it.

Iris jumped forward, glaring. "No! I refuse to believe that. If Lance had died I would've known. Dragon masters are always aware of each other's presence. He is still alive, I can feel it," she replied sharply. Her temper faded, and she sat back down. "We have to reach him before it's too late. The alliance can't fall; if it does…" she stopped, not wanting to think about the end result. If the alliance fell… the people would lose hope and rebel against each other.

"We can't seek him out ourselves; we must stay here and protect Unova," Alder said.

"Are you implying that we are to abandon Lance to his fate?" Iris retorted.

Alder shook his head. "You say he is alive and I believe you, but we can't afford to risk anyone seeking him out. Johto and Kanto are now under Ghetis' influence; he will not take kindly to intruders. We have to trust and believe that Lance will find his way to us. In the meantime, we must worry about the rest of us. Ghetis' forces continue to grow and it won't be long until he takes over everything, but we can stop him."

Iris frowned. "How?"

"We must find the legendary creatures and obtain their powers."

Iris scoffed. "There are too many of them and I'm sure none of them want to be found. If the legendries were so worried about us, then they would've helped us. We've been abandoned."

Alder shook his head again. "There is but one person who can obtain their help."

"You're thinking of Ash, aren't you?" she questioned, lifting a brow. "You always told me there was something unique about him. But you can't send him – he is not even a soldier. It's far too dangerous."

"I do not have a choice, Iris. You may be the recognized Champion of Unova, but I am still a leader. I passed this title onto you and I'm asking you now to trust in me," Alder replied, looking at Iris intensely. The former champion wasn't as young as he used to be, but his mind was still as sharp as ever. "I believe Ash can save us."

"And how is he supposed to do that? He can barely hold a sword correctly."

Alder sat down next to Iris. "There's something special about the boy. He has the uncanny ability to communicate with wild animals and earn their trust. If he can find the legendries he may be able to convince them to join us in the battle against evil," Alder said softly, "but I will not send him alone. He will need warriors, healers and brilliant minds."

"Who are you thinking of sending?"

"Brock is his best friend, and he knows the land well. He is also a skilled healer. Dawn will also accompany him in his quest, as we know she will not leave his side voluntarily. She is skilled with a blade and will be able to protect Ash from harm," Alder explained. "And that is all. Sending more people will draw the attention of enemy soldiers. Do not tell anyone else about this; this must be a secret between us only, Iris."

"The other Champions will find out."

"They have more pressing matters to concern themselves with, rather than paying Ash and his friends any attention," Alder assured. "Now, we must find Ash and inform him of his quest."

.

Gone. All was lost. His people. His kingdom. He walked through the bloodied winded streets counting the dead and wounded. There were far more dead and wounded than there were of the healthy. Ghetsis and his army would move in soon and destroy everything, and if he didn't, he would make them all his slaves. But he wasn't too concerned with that at the moment, he needed to find his cousin. He could not find her with the wounded nor the dead, so where was she? "Where is Clair?" he said, directing his question at a group of three wounded soldiers with bandages sitting nearby.

The trio exchanged glances, then they all looked at Lance. One of the men with a bloodied face answered after a few brief moments of silence. "She has fallen. She was slain by Ghetsis himself," he said sadly, then looked away.

Clair… dead. No. "Clair is not dead," he said through clenched teeth. He couldn't feel her presence anymore, but perhaps Ghetsis had somehow blocked that sense. Clair couldn't be dead.

"I'm sorry, Lance… but she fell. I saw it myself. There was nothing we could do to save her," he added flatly, meeting Lance's steely gaze with his own.

Clair was dead… and the common soldiers were still alive? Had they abandoned his cousin to die? A surge of anger swept through him. He cast a hateful glance in their direction. "Nothing you could do to save her? I don't believe it. You _abandoned _her, left her to die so you could save yourself!" Lance was well aware that his cousin wasn't exactly the most popular person around, and the only reason people were nice to her was because she was Lance's younger cousin. He took in a deep breath. "Where is her body?"

"Ghetsis took her corpse."

He froze. Not only was Clair dead, but now he couldn't even pay his respects to her. He wasn't going to stand over an empty grave and grieve. "I want her body retrieved."

"But… but that is suicide! Ghetsis has taken her away to his base – you will not be able to enter his kingdom," the soldier argued.

"Then I will die trying," he replied, with a hiss.

"You are our champion, you can't leave without damning us all!"

He was beyond the point of caring. Clair was dead. That's the only thing that mattered to him now. Ghetsis could do whatever he wanted with Johto and Kanto – Lance just wanted to see his cousin one last time so he could give her a proper burial. His kingdom was lost anyway. None of it mattered anymore. "You can all be damned," he muttered.

"If you leave the alliance will fall."

He didn't care about that either. When his people were in trouble, no one ever came to help. No, Johto and Kanto were alone. But when the other kingdoms were in trouble, he was expected to send aid. It didn't seem fair. It _wasn't _fair. He didn't say anything, rather, just walked away from the wounded soldiers. He headed back towards the main castle room and shut the door behind him and locked it, so no one else could bother him.

"Lance."

He stopped. So, he wasn't as alone as he thought he was. Standing at the foot of the staircase was his grandfather. "Come to stop me from leaving?" Lance said.

"You have a duty to your people and that is to protect them from evil. They respect you, Lance. Are you going to abandon them when they need you the most?"

Lance drew in a deep breath. "This is a battle we can't win."

"I did not raise you to be disloyal, Lance. I did not give you the Dragonite Blade because you are my blood, but I gave it to you because you are its rightful master. The blade will not respond to anyone else but you," his grandfather said, slowly walking closer to Lance.

"Clair is dead."

"And many more will join her if you leave now. I beg you to consider your future carefully."

Stay behind and protect people who didn't deserve to be protected? They couldn't help his cousin. They just let her die. They deserved to fall. The alliance. The people of his kingdom. All of them. They were all unworthy of living. "I've made up my mind." His expression remained hard, unflinching.

His grandfather sighed, as if hurt by his words. "Think about the people you will hurt."

Lance snorted. "What, Marina? I don't care about her, I never did."

"You know of whom I speak of."

He spoke of Lyra, the young woman who managed to have some sort of hold over him. He might be in the highest position of power, but Lyra could sway his mind with little effort. The damn girl had cast a spell over him – he was certain of it. Clair often called referred to that spell as 'love', and often teased him about it, but he took no notice. He didn't believe in love; how could there be romantic love in a world so cold and vile? So he convinced himself that Lyra was a witch. A darn pleasant witch. "She'll understand."

"When was the last time you spoke to her?"

Several weeks ago. He remembered it as if it had happened yesterday. He was busy in the middle of making battle plans when he spotted Lyra sparring with a red haired male called Silver. He hated Silver. The boy was wild and unreasonably cruel to those who got too close to Lyra, but he was a good fighter. He remembered watching them together and feeling strong emotions of annoyance towards Silver, and he wasn't sure why. "It's been a few weeks." After that episode, he did his best to avoid her. That way she could not affect him.

"You'll have to tell her."

"I don't have to tell anyone."

His grandfather sighed again. "Lyra loves you, Lance."

"No… she doesn't. She only thinks she does."

"What will I tell her when she comes visiting requesting to speak to you?" Lance said nothing. "Then do what you wish, but know we will always be here to support you."

.

Not all of Ash's friends will accompany him on his journey, otherwise there would be far too many. They will each have their own roles to play however, so they will feature in this story. I've selected the people that will be most useful to him. As for Lance, I'm going to be using a mixture of manga Lance and anime/game verse Lance just for plot purposes. As always, reviews are much appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	3. Last of the Line

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Pokemon do not belong to me

**Title**

Spirit of Champions

**Summary**

A dark evil has awakened threatening to sunder the fragile peace. The Five Champions must unite as one to protect the citizens, and prevent their kingdoms from plunging forever into darkness. But when an unfortunate tragedy occurs, the alliance is broken. The fate of the world falls on Ash – will he triumph?

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to koryandrs and Dragon Courage for reviewing the previous chapter!

.

**Chapter Two: Last of the Line**

The forces of Ghetsis' entered the city at dusk, killing all those who fought against them. Lyra peered over a broken wall observing the battle taking place around her. The streets were covered in blood; men, women and even children lay amongst the dead. She covered her mouth with a hand to prevent herself from screaming. Balls of fire rocketed past her flying into groups of people. More dead.

"Search the ruins! We must find him!" one of the soldiers roared.

Another ball of fire landed a few metres away from her. She ducked below the wall, willing herself to remain silent. They were looking for Lance; Ghetsis probably wanted him found so he could execute him in front of his people. Without the Champion, the morale of the people would fall making it easier to force a takeover.

She had to find him before Ghetsis' men did. Peering over the wall again, she made sure the path was safe. The soldiers had passed her now, she could hear their cries in the background but she knew more would arrive. Taking in a deep breath, she climbed over the wall and hurried towards the tower. It was the safest place in the kingdom, and likely the place where she would find Lance.

"Lyra!"

Lyra came to an abrupt halt. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted her friend Silver running towards her, his face covered in blood. She shuddered; Silver had recently been in a battle. "Silver."

"Where are you going? We need to leave this place!" He grabbed her arm, his grip unrelenting.

She placed a hand over his arm. "I need to find him, Silver."

"Who? Lance? Forget about him. We need to worry about ourselves right now."

She shook her head, planting her feet into the ground. "He could be injured, or even worse, dead. I _need _to find him." She pried Silver's fingers off her arm, then continued her path towards the tower.

Silver stepped in front of her. "No. It's suicide."

"Silver…"

She was Silver's only friend; he seemed to despise everyone else, especially Lance for some reason. The only emotion he publicly shared was one of anger and hatred, but with Lyra he expressed another; love. "This is important to me," she said softly, looking directly into his eyes. She could read him like a book; he was afraid he was going to lose her. "You're not going to lose me, Silver."

Silver lessened his grip on Lyra's arm, but his hand remained. "I don't know what you see in him, Lyra. He's like all the other Champions; arrogant and unkind. We're better off without him."

She slapped him. Hard. "Keep your voice down, Silver!" Speaking ill words of a Champion was worthy of death itself. "I'm going to find him whether you like it or not." She paused, then spoke in a calmer tone. "Head to Sinnoh; I promise I will find you. Take Ethan with you. You'll need a friend."

Silver tried to argue, but Lyra wasn't going to change her mind. He eventually resigned, sighing to himself. "Fine. Promise me you will be there. I mean it, Lyra."

She nodded. "I promise. Now _go."_

He gave her one last look, then hurried away, sword at the ready. With Silver no longer present, she made her way to the tower. The door was no longer there; it lay on the ground in bits and pieces. Fear crept into her thoughts. Someone had broken in. "Lance?" she called out. She regretted those words as soon as they left her mouth. "Stupid, Lyra," she scolded herself. "Way to remain subtle."

Fortunately, nothing happened. She made her way towards the spiral staircase, and walked up as fast as she could when she heard pained cries from above. Determination and curiosity overcame fear and she ran up the stairs, reaching the top floor within minutes. She expected to find Lance, but instead she found his grandfather. He was lying on the ground, a wounded hand resting on his stomach.

"Ly-lyra?" the elderly man coughed.

She dropped down to her knees and crawled to his side. "What…." She started, but was stopped when he grabbed her shirt. All thoughts about Lance faded when she noticed the blood on his hand. "What happened?"

He coughed again. Blood dribbled out the left side of his mouth. "Ghetsis' men… they came here… attacked me… I refused to give… them the location of Lance…" Another cough escaped him. "You… must… find him… stop him… make him see reason… he will listen to you, he always listens to you…"

"What are you talking about?" Lyra asked, leaning over the man. She looked around the thrashed room, wondering if there was anything she could use to stop the blood flow. "Stay with me."

"He doesn't… realize it yet… but he needs you… please… find him Lyra… find him before he brings more harm to a kingdom… that's already lost so much…" Again he coughed. "The alliance… must not fall…"

Lance had left. Left without even saying goodbye. Had he simply given up the fight because of Clair's tragic death? Surely, he couldn't be that selfish. Champions served the people. Always took a course of action that would benefit the people greatly. Not abandon them in the middle of a fight. "I will find him."

The elderly man smiled as best as he could. "Head… to the Dragon's Den…"

She didn't need directions to find the place; she had been there before. Normally, only those who were descendants of the dragon clan were allowed there, but Lance had personally invited her despite Clair's complaints. He was going to tell her about his family history, when Silver had forced himself in to ruin the get-together. "I'm not going to leave you." Although she wanted to find Lance, she couldn't leave his grandfather to die.

"Leave me… my time on this world has come to an end… save yourself." His eyes closed.

"No!" Lyra grabbed his shoulders and tried to wake him, but his eyes did not reopen. She bit her bottom lip, staring at his lifeless face, then wept.

.

There was only one place he could call home and that was the Dragon's Den. It was situated underground through a passage that could only be opened with a drop of blood of a descendant. It was the only method to keep the unworthy away from this sacred place. The den was mostly empty, except for the table and chair in the centre. On the table there was a candle and a large dusty book.

That book contained every single detail about the history of the dragon clan and what it meant to be part of the clan. Often, when he felt unsure of himself, he visited the Den and read some of the pages, hoping there would be an answer in there. Family trees, achievements, conquests and battle strategies were written in great detail. As a young child, he spent several hours a day reading the book and studying under the watchful eye of his grandfather. It was to prepare him for the dark days to come, his grandfather had said.

But while the book explained battle strategies in great detail and such, it did not explain how to deal with complex feelings. There was only a simple line that read, 'a Dragon Master is _not _someone who _does not feel afraid, _but someone who _conquers that fear_.' Lance had no idea what that was supposed to mean. He wasn't scared of anything, so how was he supposed to conquer any form of fear?

It certainly didn't help him understand where to go from here. Returning to Johto would be foolish – Ghetsis' men had probably already taken over by now, and the majority of his people slaughtered. If he were to return Ghetsis himself would take him as a trophy of his victory. He wasn't going to spend the rest of his days being locked up in a dungeon.

But without the people of his kingdom behind him, he had nothing. It wasn't like he could build an army and fight to recapture Johto and Kanto. Calling for aid from the other champions wasn't ideal too – they were already struggling to protect their own kingdoms, let alone having to worry about another. So, what other option was there to take other than to give up?

He wouldn't have to worry about fighting anymore. Wouldn't have to worry about Ghetsis and his evil forces. It would be so easy just to give it all up, remain here in the Den and watch the world fall apart around him. Clair was dead. His grandfather had probably been killed too. That made him the last surviving clan member. He wasn't afraid, of course, but this newfound knowledge made him realize he was alone.

It was expected that the clan member would produce a child of their own so the line would continue and he always expected Clair would be the one to settle down. He never thought of himself being in a fatherly role, nor did he desire that. Being Champion was enough responsibility, but what was he a Champion of now? Nothing.

"I knew I would find you here."

He broke out of his thoughts, and turned around to find Lyra standing at the entrance. Salty tears were streaming down her cheeks, and he spotted traces of blood on her clothes. His immediate instinct was to ensure she was alright – but he fought against that and simply stared at her coldly. "You're not allowed to be here."

She took a step forward. "I'm not leaving without you."

So, she _had _come to find him. Had his grandfather been right about her after all? Did Lyra actually _love _him? No. Of course not. He took a step back from her. It had been awhile since he had last spoken to her. She would probably try and persuade him to return to his duties, but he wasn't going to let her work that spell on him this time.

"Kanto and Johto have fallen, Lyra. There's nothing I can do about that," he said flatly.

She snorted, wiping tears away. "Your cousin is dead. Your grandfather is dead. You could have prevented either from happening if you had been there to help them!" she spat, anger coursing through her veins.

Lance was abruptly taken aback by her accusations. He hadn't forced Clair into battle; she had gone willingly. As for his grandfather, he could've left too, but he chose to stay behind in the chaos. "That was their choice."

"Their choice? Is that all you have to say?"

"What did you expect me to say?" he gruffly replied. Yes, he felt sadness at the passing of his cousin and grandfather, but he couldn't show her that. He was a Champion after all. "You need to leave, Lyra."

She held her ground, glaring at him. "Your grandfather told me to find you and to bring you back. I intend to fulfil his dying wishes." He didn't reply. She sighed. "I guess Silver was right… he told me not to come after you."

"Silver?" He hated hearing that name. The boy was too cruel. Uncaring. Ruthless. Unless he was with Lyra and that annoyed him. He couldn't exactly work out why though – it wasn't jealousy – he already had everything anyway. _Everything but Lyra, _a voice teased in the back of his mind. He took in a deep breath, telling himself to calm down. "Just… leave. It isn't safe for you here anymore. Go to one of the other kingdoms."

She looked at him with pitiful eyes. "Not without you," she said softly, all fierceness gone in her tone.

There it was again, that strong urge to go with Lyra and protect her from harm. It was… a primal feeling. He almost gave in again to her demand, but managed to stop himself at the last minute. "Head to Sinnoh. The walls there should keep you safe from Ghetsis' forces." He reached down underneath his cape, and pulled out a golden knife. "Take this with you." He handed the knife.

He couldn't send Lyra off unarmed into a vicious world after all.

"What do you mean by 'should'?" she said, taking the knife.

"Just… take care of yourself." He looked away, troubled. _Sending an inexperienced girl into the wild world? She's not Clair, Lance. You should go with her. Your duty, after all, is to protect your people. _That damn voice again, mocking him. He forced it aside, and looked at her sternly. "Go." She departed, shoulders slumped, and he couldn't help but feel like he had damned her, and himself, to the very depths of hell.

.

Cilan winced as pain shot down through his arm temporarily paralysing him. For several days now he had worked hard on menial labour carrying large stones and carving them into symbols of Ghetsis' face. The stone weighed a little less than half the average body weight of a healthy grown man. It was difficult work, but as a slave he was not allowed to take breaks and rejuvenate. The rays of the hot sun burned into his back turning the skin a dangerous shade of red. If the work didn't kill him the heat would.

His thoughts were interrupted by the protests of two other male slaves. One had blue hair, the other a flaming red. Cress and Chili. These were his brothers and together the trio were slaves to Ghetsis. A journey to mine some ore had ended wrongly when they were ambushed by a large group of enemy soldiers. The large sandstone in Cress' hands fell to the ground. One of the guards rushed over to him and forced him to his feet. "Get back to work you pathetic excuse for a human!" The guard spat, aiming a well placed kick at Cress' left ribcage.

Cress whimpered, as he struggled to stand. His knees wobbled, and he fell to the ground once more. His weary body could not be supported by his equally tired legs. Cilan felt his brother's pain, but there was nothing he could do to help. He could only watch and pray silently his brother would find the strength to continue. The guard brought out a whip and lashed the weapon at his beaten bare back. Cress' face contorted with pain. "Please… have mercy…" he said.

"Pick up the stone and continue your work, slave," the guard ordered, pointing at the stone Cress had dropped. "If I find you slacking off again, then I will report you to N."

N. Grand slavemaster, and Ghetsis' right hand man. Cress whimpered. Better to be punished by the common guards than be faced with N himself. Cress limped to the stone, bent his knees and wrapped his arms around it. He tried to pick it up, but his physical strength had left him. He collapsed under the surface of the stone.

Cilan winced, and turned away unable to watch his brother suffer. The pain was unbearable, even more so than being on the receiving end of the hooked claws of the whip. "Pansage," he mumbled, bringing a hand to the amulet around his neck. Pansage was one of the three elemental monkeys, an extremely rare creature that only appeared to a special person. Cilan encountered a Pansage when he was a young boy, and the sacred monkey offered its spirit to him, promising great power in times of peril.

Pansage hadn't answered his summons yet; Cilan had been trying for many years now to unlock its power, but the monkey seemed to be dormant. There had to be a way to trigger its power. He just didn't know how. Unfortunately, his two brothers were also in the same position. They too had encountered elemental monkeys and they were both unable to call upon its power. A forbidden tear rolled down his pallid cheeks. He wiped it away.

"Get your hands off me!"

Cilan's eyes snapped open and he jerked his head behind him. His eyes were drawn to a bulky guard holding the arm of a brown haired girl. The girl was stick thin, and her body badly bruised, but she still struggled against this iron grip hold. The guard slapped her in the face and threw her to the ground. "You dare issue me orders?" The guard demanded, towering over the girl.

She bared her teeth and hissed at him, but spoke no further. Satisfied, the guard picked the girl up in his arms and brought her to Cilan's position. He dropped her onto the hot sand. "This boy," he said, darting his eyes in Cilan's direction, "will tell you what needs to be done." The guard left to examine the condition of Cress.

Cilan looked at the girl with sympathy. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Lyra," she said, drawing her knees to her chest.

"Where are you from?"

"Johto."

.

So, how was Lyra was captured anyway, you're probably wondering. That will be explained in the next chapter. I hope you found the chapter thoroughly enjoyable. As for the quote, "The brave man is _**not**_ he who does _**not feel afraid**_, but he who conquers that fear," is borrowed from Nelson Mandela – I felt the quote fit for this particular story, hence why I included it. See you in the next chapter! Reviews much appreciated, as always!


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